Organizational Learning and the Learning Organization: A Dichotomy Between Descriptive and Prescriptive Research

Abstract

Despite the growing popularity of the term 'organizational learning," writings on the topic have little consensus in terms of definition, perspective, conceptualization, and methodology. This article examines the dichotomy between two main streams of theorizing in the field. The first stream, prescriptive writings on the learning organization, is concerned with the question "How should an organization learn?" Targeting practitioners, these studies are usually based on the authors' consulting experience and seldom follow rigorous research methodologies. They also tend to overgeneralize their theories to all types of organization. Descriptive researches on organizational learning fall in the second stream which tackles the question "How does an organization learn?" These are academic studies striving for scientific rigor. Nevertheless, they often fail to generate useful implications for practitioners. In the final section of the article, brief suggestions are made to integrate the two streams of research.

The Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ): A validation study in a Korean context

“…The concept of the learning organization is an increasing area of interest in the fields of HRD, management, and even school systems (Egan, Yang, & Bartlett, 2004;Marquardt, 1996Marquardt, , 2002Wang, Yang, & McLean, 2007). Interest in the learning organization as the source of organizational success and competitive advantage has been a strong focus in these fields in past decades (Ellinger et al, 2002;Gilley & Maycunich, 2000;Leonard, 1998;Tsang, 1997). Three efforts have been hailed as landmark works on the learning organization: Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective Reading (Argyris & Schön, 1978); The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization (Senge, 1990); and Sculpting the Learning Organization: Lessons in the Art and Science of Systematic Change (Watkins & Marsick, 1993).…”

“…The Development of the DLOQ. One of the most severe but common critiques of HRD practices is the lack of measures to assess applications empirically in the workplace (Holton, 1996(Holton, , 2005Holton et al, 2000;Tsang, 1997;Yang et al, 2004). To date, numerous studies have been conducted to examine the substantial concept of the learning organization.…”

Processo de aprendizagem organizacional e desempenho empresarial: o caso da indústria eletroeletrônica no Brasil

“…Garvin (1993, p. 20) afirma que "uma definição clara de aprendizagem organizacional provou ser elusiva ao longo dos anos" e suge re que " ainda existe uma considerável divergência" com relação a esse conceito, apesar do esforço de alguns autores para esclarecer a distinção entre as duas abordagens principais sobre o tema -a prendizagem organizacional e organização de aprendizagem -dentro de um posicionamento teórico (Tsang, 1997).…”

ICT-supported knowledge representation for development of routines in industry

“…While the watershed took place with the special issue of Organization Science, February, 1991, the source of organizational learning is based on the writings as far back as John Dewey (1916Dewey ( , 1933Dewey ( , 1938, writing about experiential learning and the need for social interaction; internal resources of the firm and "the dominant role that increasing knowledge plays in economic processes" (Edit Penrose, 1959:77); tacit knowledge (Michael Polanyi, 1962); and situated knowledge (Frederick Hayek, 1945/1949. Due to the fast development of OL theory, authors have taken different tracks, different terminologies, and variations of definitions, resulting in fragmentation and confusion of the field (Easterby-Smith & Lyle, 2003;Vera and Crossan, 2003;Tsang, 1997;Easterby-Smith, 1997).…”

“…They all overlap, and in trying to make themselves distinct from the other fields end up confusing readers. For example, while organizational learning is descriptive and concerned with how organizations actually learn (Cyert and March, 1963;Cangelosi & Dill, 1965;Argyris and Schön, 1986;Levitt and March, 1988;March, 1991;Huber, 1991;Simon, 1991), learning organization (Senge, 1990) is prescriptive and concerned with how should organizations learn (Tsang, 1997). Organizational knowledge, also primarily descriptive, is related to economics and focuses on the importance of knowledge as a firm resource (Penrose, 1959;Polanyi, 1962); of 'tacit' knowledge and routine-learning in operations (Nelson & Winter, 1982;Nonaka and Takeutchi, 1995); and of organizational knowledge and empowerment (Spender, 1996).…”